Baseball mitt



1950 A. J. TURNER 2,528,802

BASEBALL MITT Filed Feb. 21, 1950 15 @M WW Patented Nov. 7, 1950BASEBALL MITT Archibald J. Turner, Chicago, 111., assignor to WilsonAthletic Goods Mfg. Co., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of DelawareApplication February 21, 1950, Serial No. 145,470

This invention relates to baseball mitts and particularly to that typeof mitt in which a stiff reenforced thumb section is positioned normallyat about right angles, transversely of the mitt. with respect to theadjacent portion of a comp'aratively flexible body section, with an edgeof the thumb section connected by means of a lacing or the like with theadjacent portion of said body section. v v

It is one of the obiectsof the invention to form and arrange the bodysection of the mitt so as normally to give its receiving face anunusually effective cup-like, or pocket defining conformation.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the facing of the bodysection of the mitt comprises two pieces of leather sewed together alongcontiguous edges. One of said contiguous edges defines an angle facingthe other edge, of about 160 degrees, more or less. The other of suchcontiguous edges defines 'an angle facing the opposed edge of about 135degrees more or less. The seam at such sewed-together contiguous edgesextends from the tip of the mitt substantially parallel with the edge ofthe body section adjacent to the thumb section to approximately thecenter. of said body section, and extends thence obliquely toward thewrist portion of the mitt at the side of the mitt away from the thumbsection.

By virtue of the arrangement just described, the portion of the mitt atthe little finger side of the body section is held definitely in acuteangle relationship to the oppositely disposed thumb section of the mitt,with a pronounced ball receiving pocket, between the thumb section andthe little finger side edge portion of the mitt, extending the fulllength of the mitt, and with such pocket supportable effectivelythroughout its full width by thepalm and fingers of the wearer.

Other objects and advantages willbe apparent from the followingdescription of an exemplary embodiment of my invention disclosed forillustrative purposes by reference to the accompany- 3 Claims.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing, in whichcorresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, I0111- dicates the body section of a baseball mitt, having a front facingformed of leather pieces I I and 12,

the latter of which is provided with an integrally formed extension [3forming the facing for a thumb section M. The body section 'III which iscomparatively flexible includes in addition to the usual padding, theusual flexible finger stalls 10a, lb and. 18c, either or both of thestalls i012 and I00 being of a size to accommodate two fingers.Preferably the thumb section [.4 is comparatively stiff, and'isreenforced for that purpose. This reenforcement of the thumb section l4;suitably consists of a plate I la of relatively stifi leather or othersuitable material, between which and the usual thumb section paddingthere is disposed the usual flexible thumb stall Mb. Both of saidsections I0 and I4 are bound and laced at their edge portions in anydesired or conventional manner. The thumb section I4, in the arrangementshown, is normally held in substantially right angled position withrespect to the adjacent portion of the body section It], being flexiblyconnected to said body section by lacing means l5, as isbest shown inFig. 1.

In my improved arrangement, the facing leather l2, at its edge apresented toward the facing leather H, is cut out to provide an angleopening of about 160 degrees. The front facing leather H, on the otherhand, at its edge I) presented toward. the leather I2, is cut in theform of an angle in which the material measures mitt, viewed from aposition slightly to one side;

Fig. 2 is a back face view of the mitt;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, more or less diagrammatic incharacter. taken substantially at the line 33 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a face View of two interfitting parts illustratingdiagrammatically the preferred shapes of the two pieces from which theleather front facing of my mitt are formed.

substantially less than the angle opening in the facing leather 12, sothat when the contiguous edges of the two pieces of leather are sewedtogether the facing shall be given a cup-like conformation. In mypreferred embodiment, the angularly cut piece I l measures aboutdegrees. The two pieces of leather thus measure together about 335degrees, so asto give the two pieces when stitched together asubstantially flared formation. By reason of this arrangement.

the flexible body section as a whole is held in such shape as to providean effective ball-receiving pocket.

In the preferred embodiment of my. invention, as shown by the drawing,the seam at the contiguous edges of the facing pieces H and I2 extendsfrom the tip of the mitt, beyond the ends of the fingers of the wearer,substantially parallel with the edge of the body section adjacent to thethumb section, to approximately the center of said body section, andextends thence obliquely across the end of said facing piece I l to apoint at the edge of the mitt a substantial distance from the wrist atthe little finger side of the mitt.

By the use of this arrangement, the edge portions of the body section,at the tip of the mitt and at the little finger side thereof, are heldnormally in the required rounded conformation with respect to the middleportion of said body section for the production of an effectiveballreceiving pocket opposite to the face of the angularly positionedthumb section 14. My improved means for holding the parts in theircupped conformation are of sufficient strength and stiffness for makingthe pocket very effective for stopping a ball and holding it againstescape therefrom.

Having thus illustrated and described a preferred illustrativeembodiment of my invention,

I do not limit myself to the precise detailsof;

construction shown in the accompanying drawing, but on the contrary willavail myself of all equivalent constructions falling'within the scopeofthe appended claims. a i

-Icla'im: r

1., A baseball mitt having abody section arranged to extend across aplurality of the fingers portion toward apoint at the edge of the mittbody section so as to hold said thumb section in efiective position atthe side of the ball-receiving pocket.

v 3. A baseball mitt having a body section arranged to extend across aplurality. of the fingers of the wearer, with. the facing of such bodysection formed from two pieces of leather sewed togetheralong-contiguous edges so as to form a ball-receiving pocket, one ofsaid pieces of leather at its edge presented toward the other piecebeing cut out to provide an angle opening of about 160 degrees more orless, and said other piece at its edge presented toward said onepiecebeing cut in the form of an angle in which the. material measures osubstantially 135 degrees more or less, said pieces of leather being arranged so that the seam at their contiguous edges extends from the tipof the mitt substan tially parallel with the edge of the bodysectio'nadjacent to the thumb side of the mitt to ap- No. references cited.

